TEMPUS Modernising Higher Education. Tempus Monitoring Policy

Transcription

1 TEMPUS Modernising Higher Education Tempus Monitoring Policy By Jacques Kemp & Aziza Abdurakhmanova Tempus project representatives meeting Brussels, November

2 WHY Monitoring Management instrument - for project follow up and assessment In particular, - for projects that might be encountering problems - for projects which are enjoying particular success Benefits extend beyond a given project: - lessons can be learnt for the Programme - best practice can be disseminated

3 WHY Monitoring General objectives: - To maximise the impact of the Tempus programme - To maximise the return on investment of EU funds - To ensure proper use of tax-payer money - To support, control and assess the beneficiaries performances coordinators & partners - To support, assist, advise the beneficiaries

4 Monitoring activity DESK Monitoring (Brussels HQ) - Written reports submitted by Coordinators - Minutes of beneficiaries meetings - Exchange of mails with coordinators/beneficiaries - Publications; websites of the projects / of the beneficiaries

5 Monitoring activity FIELD Monitoring (on the spot) Actors: EACEA staff, NTOs, EU Delegations, External consultants (ROM) Locations: Any place concerned by the project. On the spot. Wish/request: As many project partners as possible including project coordinator Project stakeholders

6 Monitoring activity FIELD Monitoring (on the spot) To monitor the progress and achievements in their real environment To judge whether the project is progressing according to plan To assess whether the project is producing the expected benefits To assess the visibility and the potential for sustainability of the project To be informed about financial management / accounting system put in place; to understand the organization of the partnership

7 Monitoring activity FIELD Monitoring (on the spot) To scrutinise the context in which the programme is operating To highlight the added value for modernising HE policy FEEDBACK TO COORDINATORS recommendations - advice - questions Coordinators MUST debrief all partners

8 Three functions for Field Monitoring Preventive information on the rules & procedures review of the objectives, priorities, methodology, activities planned, cooperation with partners (role / rules) further recommendations During the first half of the eligibility period Recommendations results should appear in the interim report

9 Three functions for Field Monitoring Advisory advice / suggestion to accompany the project implementation / solve issues check content and financial aspects (based primarily on the content of the interim report) During the second half of the eligibility period Links between the interim report and the situation on the ground Recommendations for the continuation of the project results should appear in the final report

10 Three functions for Field Monitoring Control Check the results/impacts Assess the sustainability, visibility Check documents & procedures: staff conventions, tender procedures, accounts After the completion of the project: after the end of the eligibility period Financial management & accounting relating to the use of the grant use of EU funds

11 Monitoring activity Financial AUDIT (on the spot) By sample Upon request by EACEA project officer, EU Delegation, EACEA financial unit, Com DGs At any time, usually after the end of the project (within 5 years) EACEA Staff, Independent auditor, OLAF (suspicion of fraud)

12 Our Objectives FIELD Monitoring To know the projects - To know the coordinators, beneficiaries; to support them To improve further the functioning of the Tempus programme To take your opinion into account when drafting next Calls To indentify any issue/problem To control the implementation and the use of EU tax payer money Our Targets Two thirds (2/3) of the projects are visited annually (NTOs/EACEA/Other) Might be a little bit less if more projects are selected Each project financed, on average, is visited twice during its lifetime

13 FIELD Monitoring 2012 projects Scheduling Field monitoring EACEA-NTOs annual planning Upon prior appointement by NTO Kick off meeting (EU/Partner countries) Consortium meeting Special event Please inform Tempus team when event schedules - opportunity for FM / getting familiar with your project

14 Field monitoring visits at EU co-ordinating universities > 75% EU coordinators Several projects as coordinators How co-ordinating institution manages Tempus projects Meetings with senior management, administrative/financial unit, project team

15 Field monitoring visits at EU co-ordinating universities To assess the overall operational capacity and management performance of the co-ordinating institution in managing Tempus projects To assess with the/each project teams the state of play of project implementation with particular focus on effectiveness of management To identify aspects of good practice within the project / co-ordinating institution

16 .More on NTO field monitoring activity 16

17 NTO field monitoring activity Planning is very important! Good practice to coincide FM with a project meeting Joint development of meeting schedule with local team Implementation of the field monitoring visit Presentation of meeting's objectives by NTO General presentation of the local/national coordinator on the project Questions and answers Meeting with the university administration Preliminary conclusions and recommendations

18 NTO field monitoring activity Standard monitoring evaluation criteria Relevance - Effectiveness - Efficiency - Impact - Sustainability the floor is given to local partners! To observe the understanding of project objectives by the project team and university management > local ownership To consider and advice on agreements taken for decision making and financial management To take note and advise on possible changes in the initial planning To assess benefits to target groups AND dissemination strategy To evaluate role and involvement of the Ministry (for SM project)

19 NTO field monitoring activity Past experience shows the positive impact of field monitoring on the quality of project implementation EACEA and NTOs give priority to preventive field monitoring (i.e. all projects to be visited in the first half of their life-time) o General meeting in the morning of monitoring day can be an information/dissemination event about a project (open to all faculties and university structures, students, etc.) o Discussions focus on clarification of rules, set-up of project team, decisionmaking procedures, availability of project documentation and updated workplan in local language, coordination and communication mechanism in place, etc. for a good start of the project!

20 NTO field monitoring activity Follow-up in the partner-country is very important! Copy of EACEA's feedback must be dispatched to all partners It should be translated and given to university administration Follow-up: meeting of the country project team to discuss FM results and recommendations and identify action points Advice: project team can prepare concluding remarks and further plans/changes based on FM recommendations to be discussed with the consortium and return them as a feedback to the NTO

21 Thank you for your attention 21